Cancer survivor Maria Favela set to make MMA return at Invicta FC 57: “They told me I had a 50% chance of living”
Women’s bantamweight prospect Maria Favela will make her return at Invicta FC 57 later this month.
‘Leona’ hasn’t been seen in the cage since a third-round knockout victory over Louise Hiller in August 2022. While the bantamweight prospect hoped to book a return to the cage soon thereafter, that bout never came. A few months following her stoppage win, Maria Favela was diagnosed with stage 3 Hodgkin Lymphoma.
According to the Invicta FC fighter, she was given just a 50% chance of survival due to the illness. However, after help from a GoFundMe that went viral and caught the attention of Dana White and others, Maria Favela was able to receive the care she needed. Last December, the bantamweight successfully beat the cancer.
Less than a year later, the Mexican fighter has booked her return to the cage. At Invicta FC 57 later this month, Maria Favela will face Canadian prospect, Maria Djukic. ‘Sweet’ is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Fernanda Araujo last October. Speaking in a recent interview with Invicta themselves, Favela opened up on her journey.
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Bantamweight prospect Maria Favela books return for Invicta FC 57 after beating cancer
According to the bantamweight prospect, she attempted to book her return earlier this summer. However, due to some additional testing, Maria Favela was forced to postpone her comeback. In the interview, the Invicta FC fighter also thanked fans and the MMA community for having her back.
“I was feeling I had to do it at least one more time for me. I wanted to fight before my PET scan in June, but it was impossible.” Maria Favela stated in the interview. “My coaches were like, ‘No, you’re crazy. You need more time.’ But if I’m gonna fight, I’m gonna fight. And I’m gonna enjoy every single second, no matter what happens.” (h/t Invicta FC)
She continued, “…They told me that I had a 50% chance of living. They treated me as if I was Stage four, because I had lymphomas in my liver, in my hips, in my heart, and my lungs. Every gland becomes like a tumor. The doctors told me if I’m still pushing, I’ll be passing out with a heart attack. My lungs were doing 90% of the work, and my heart was taking most of the oxygen. When I was doing treatments, I was in the fight mode. You don’t think about fear, you do what you have to do.”
“My friend helped me make a GoFundMe, and the whole MMA community came to support. Even Cynthia Calvillo and Dana White donated money. When you’re fighting cancer, the last thing that you have is time. Thanks to the MMA community and my family, I was able to pay for private treatment.”
What do you make of this Invicta FC news? Are you excited for Maria Favela’s return later this month?
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
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